1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method to be used in connection with spooling a cable or the like with a double spooler, in which method spooling begins onto a first drum and, at a desired stage, spooling changes over onto a second drum. The invention further relates to an arrangement in connection with the double spooler.
2. Description of Related Art
The above-described methods and arrangements are currently well known, for example, in cable industry, where double spoolers are used in various process steps. In connection with prior art double spoolers the procedure is substantially the following. So-called starting scrap, which is produced at the starting phase of manufacturing different cable types, is spooled onto the first drum and when the cable has reached correct measurements and correct quality, spooling is changed over to the second drum, onto which spooling will continue in the normal manner. The same operation is also performed, for example, when the colour of sheath or insulation will be changed. A product of a wrong colour produced during the change will also be spooled onto a so-called scrap drum, and when the desired colour is achieved, the drum is changed again, and production run will be continued onto the second drum. The above-mentioned scrap produced at the starting phase or when changing the colour remains on the drum that will be removed from the spooler and transferred to a specific scrap handling site for unloading. The development of process control and increases in production line rates have led to a situation where, despite the insignificant amount of scrap, the scrap drums need to be handled very often, since changes of colour and type have to be performed often on the production lines, even several times during a work shift.
The prior art technique has a drawback that handling of scrap cable is laborious and time-consuming, which contributes to increased costs. When scrap cable is removed off the drums, they also get easily damaged, since typically cable removal off the scrap drum has been performed without rotating the drum, by chopping the scrap cable into pieces with an axe-like tool against the drum centre. In drums with a detachable flange or flanges, it has been a laborious and time-consuming operation to unload the drums by first detaching the flange and thereafter emptying the drum centre in the axial direction.
The object of the invention is to provide a method and an arrangement by which the prior art drawbacks can be eliminated. This is achieved with the method and arrangement in accordance with the invention. The method of the invention is characterized in that at the same time when spooling is continued onto the second drum, actuators in connection with the first drum are controlled to unwind cable off the first drum into a place provided. The arrangement of the invention in turn is characterized by comprising control means that are arranged to control the actuators of the first drum shaft to a mode unwinding cable or the like while spooling continues after a change-over onto the drum pivoted on the second drum shaft.
An advantage of the invention is mainly that handling of scrap cable becomes substantially simpler and faster as compared with the previously known technique. That in turn reduces the costs associated with the process, and consequently the overall result is more advantageous than previously. One further advantage of the invention is simplicity, whereby the application of the invention is advantageous. One advantage of the invention is also flexibility, since the invention can be preferably applied to processes currently in use. Moreover, the method and arrangement of the invention can be preferably applied to a variety of processes.